What’s Ahead in Seminary and Institute

For many thousands of New Era readers, a new school year begins this month when they return to secondary school and college classrooms. Many of you will make the wise decision that your spiritual education is equally as important as your secular education, and you will voluntarily enroll for seminary or institute. Perhaps others will wish to make the same decision after reviewing what’s ahead in the coming year.

Home Study Seminary

This program is really unknown to many young people in the Church. It is applicable where there are insufficient numbers of Mormon youths to hold either early-morning or released-time seminary. It is expected that almost 15,000 Latter-day Saint young people will be part of this year’s program, which is widely used in the middle and eastern United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, and is being implemented in South America, Japan, Korea, Germany, and other locales this year.

If home study seminary applies to you, here’s what this year will be like:

1. Plan on spending about thirty minutes daily in your personal workbook and in reading this year’s course of study, the Book of Mormon. You will read, answer questions, and do some fun workbook projects.

2. One hour a week you will meet with from two to ten other students in your ward or branch; and with a teacher, you will discuss the meaning of what you have studied.

3. One Saturday a month you will meet with perhaps a hundred other youths in your region, and for several hours you will have discussion and instruction, followed by group activities and socials.

4. A big thing in this year’s course is the Book of Mormon Chronology Wheel. Once you’ve learned about it, the history and patterns of the Book of Mormon will likely never confuse you again.

Early-Morning Seminary

Throughout the United States, Canada, and in various areas of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, some locales in South America and other places, about 50,000 young Latter-day Saints meet before school for an hour in what is called early-morning seminary. Classes may begin anywhere from 6 to 7:30 A.M.

If this applies to you, here’s what this year will be like:

1. The course is the Old Testament.

2. Plan on learning all about Scripture Chase, a tremendously successful way to have fun and make the scriptures come alive in your life.

3. Plan on enjoying a youth convocation at least once this year, where 200 to 500 young Mormons from your area will meet for an all-day event of workshops, stimulating speakers, and social activities.

Released-Time Seminary

Primarily applicable only in the Rocky Mountain areas, this program operates where there are many Latter-day Saints attending a school and who may receive permission to study the gospel during one class period during the day. About 80,000 young people are enrolled in this program.

1. As usual, all four courses of study will be taught—Book of Mormon, New Testament, Church History, Old Testament.

2. Strong emphasis on youth leadership will be given in all seminaries. You will be deeply involved in preparing devotionals, socials, and regional seminary conferences.

3. Many of you will join a File Club—20 or more persons who share their indexed classroom files with each other.

Institute

About 53,000 Latter-day Saints are enrolled in institutes of religion while attending college or vocational or trade school.

This year they can look forward to—

1. Enrolling in any of up to 35 courses, ranging from marriage preparation, missionary preparation, science and religion, and religions of the world to contemporary religious questions.

2. Becoming involved in campus missionary work in order to let fellow students know what Mormons stand for.

3. Service proiects, which will receive strong emphasis.

4. At least one major social every month.

5. Weekly forums, in which guest speakers face the issues.

6. Latter-day Saint fraternities (Sigma Gamma Chi and Delta Phi) and sorority (Lambda Delta Sigma) and Student Association units, which continue to spread throughout the Church, if you want them on your campus—see your leaders.

These highlights are really only a brief and skimpy outline. The seminary and institute programs are justly famous and beloved throughout the Church. If you’re not a part of them and you wish more information, contact your bishop or branch president immediately.